Study Guide for Geography for General Studies UPSC/IAS/CSE

 Detailed analysis of syllabus

Prelims Syllabus

 Indian and World Geography – Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and
World

Geography

Economic Geography
Social [Not so [Very important.
Physical [Important]
Important] Especially Indian
Economic Geography]

Geomorthology Climatology
[Important] [Extremely Important]

Oceanography [Not so Biogeography

important] [Important]

Environmental
geography [Very
important in
Environment section]

Booklist

 Multiple books for each subject means too much burden on your pocket as
well as brain.
 So less books, more revision, more practice tests is the key.

Topic Booklist [Always try to find the latest

editions]
Physical Geography [Important]  NCERT [New or Old]
 Physical geography by Savinder
Singh [Syllabus oriented topics
only]
Indian Physical Geography [Very Important]  NCERT [New or Old]
  INDIA A COMPREHENSIVE
GEOGRAPHY by KHULLAR only
[Syllabus oriented topics only]
Social [Not important]  Don't mistake this topic with the whole of
Human Geography. Its only a small part of

Human Geography. It’s nothing but

Population geography and some
concepts of sociology. Questions on
tribes, Population pyramids etc.
 Refer NCERT and Some general
topics from Population Geography
Economic Geography  NCERT
 Topics scattered in different books
 Mrunal.org has some articles [both
website and Youtube]
 I have compiled notes and I will be
posting them on My blogs
https://manjuinsights.wordpress.com/
http://poormansfriend.blogspot.in/

Mains Syllabys

Physical Geography

 Salient features of world's physical geography.

Booklist

 NCERT [New or Old]

 Physical geography by Savinder Singh [Syllabus oriented topics only]
 INDIA A COMPREHENSIVE GEOGRAPHY by KHULLAR only

Economic Geography

 Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the
Indian subcontinent);
  factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries
in various parts of the world (including India)

Booklist

 http://mrunal.org/geography
 I have compiled notes and I will be posting them on My blog

https://manjuinsights.wordpress.com/

http://poormansfriend.blogspot.in/

Important Geophysical phenomena

Physical Geography

 Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity,

cyclone etc.,

A combination of Physical geography, Climatology (Climate Change)

 geographical features and their location - changes in critical geographical features

(including water bodies and ice-caps) and in flora and fauna and the effects of such
changes.

Topicwise questions from 2013 and 2014 Mains Papers

 Some questions fall under multiple headings

Physical Geography of the World

 What do you understand by the theory of continental drift? Discuss the prominent
evidences in its support.

Physical Geography of India

 There is no formation of deltas by rivers of the Western Ghat. Why?

 Bring out the causes for more frequent landslides in the Himalayas than in Western
Ghats

Physical Geography – Climatology

  Tropical cyclones are largely confined to South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and Gulf of
Mexico. Why?
 What do you understand by the phenomenon of temperature inversion in
meteorology? How does it affect the weather and the habitants of the place?

Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia and the
Indian subcontinent);

 Account for the change in the spatial pattern of the Iron and Steel industry in the
world.
 Critically evaluate the various resources of the oceans which can be harnessed to
meet the resource crisis in the world.
 How does India see its place in the economic space of rising natural resource rich
Africa?
 With growing scarcity of fossil fuels, the atomic energy is gaining more and more
significance in India. Discuss the availability of raw material required for the
generation of atomic energy in India and in the world.
 It is said the India has substantial reserves of shale oil and gas, which can feed the
needs of country for quarter century. However, tapping of the resources doesn’t
appear to be high on the agenda. Discuss critically the availability and issues
involved.

factors responsible for the location of primary, secondary, and tertiary sector industries
in various parts of the world (including India)

 Why did the Green Revolution in India virtually by-pass the eastern region despite
fertile soil and good availability of water?
 Do you agree that there is a growing trend of opening new sugar mills in the
Southern states of India? Discuss with justification
 Analyze the factors for highly decentralized cotton textile industry in India

Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity,

cyclone etc.,

 Tropical cyclones are largely confined to South China Sea, Bay of Bengal and Gulf of
Mexico. Why?
  The recent cyclone on the east coast of India was called “Phailin”. How are the
tropical cyclones named across the world?

geographical features and their location

 Explain the formation of thousands of islands in Indonesian and Philippines

archipelagos.
 Why are the world’s fold mountain systems located along the margins of continents?
Bring out the association between the global distribution of Fold Mountains and the
earthquakes and volcanoes.
 Major hot deserts in northern hemisphere are located between 20-30 degree north
and on the western side of the continents. Why?

changes in critical geographical features (including water bodies and ice-caps) and in
flora and fauna and the effects of such changes.

 Most of the unusual climatic happenings are explained as an outcome of the El-Nino
effect. Do you agree?
 Bring out the relationship between the shrinking Himalayan glaciers and the
symptoms of climate change in the Indian sub-continent.
 Bring out the causes for the formation of heat islands in the urban habitat of the
world.

Topic wise breakup of syllabus

Physical Geography

Geomorphology

 Earth’s Interior
 Tectonics
 Continental Drift
 Seefloor Spreading
o Plaeomagnetism
 Plate Tectonics
 Mountain Building [Orogeny]
 Physical Phenomena
  Earthquakes, Volcanoes, etc..
 Rocks
 Weathering & Erosion
 Erosional and depositional Landforms [No need to study in detail. Just 10-15 points
under each heading]
 Fluvial landforms
 Glacial Landforms
 Marine Landforms
 Arid Landfroms
 Karst Landfroms

Climatology

 The Atmosphere
 Temperature Distribution
 Pressure systems and Wind systems
 Jet streams
 Airmasses
 Fronts
 Frontal Cyclones or Temperate Cyclones
 Humidity and Precipitation
 Geographical Phenomena
 Cyclones – Tropical and Temperate cyclones
 Climatic regions of the World

Oceanography

 Ocean relief
 Temperature Distribution
 Salinity
 Ocean Currents
 Tides
 Coral Bleeching
 Sea level change
 Marine pollution
  Laws related [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea etc..]

Biogeography and Environmental Geography

 Soil Profile
 Soil degradation and conservation
 Biotic regions [Topic closely related to Climatic regions of the world]
 Deforestation and Conservation of forests.
 Changes in critical geographical features - flora and fauna and the effects of such
changes.
 Environmental Pollution [Coinsides with ‘Conservation, Environmental pollution …..’
topic of GS 3]

Physical Geography of India

 Topics 1-9 [Introduction to Environment] from India A Comprehensive Geography By

Khullar [Don’t read from page to page. Read only necessary Headings]

Economic Geography

 Resource distribution
 Marine resources
 Water resources
 Agricultural resources
 Land resources
 Mineral and Non-mineral resources
 Etc..
 For India Economic Geography
 Selective Headings from Kullar
 Ex: Water resources, Land utilization, Green Revolution, Mineral and Energy
resources etc..
 Topics of GS 3 like Cropping Pattern, Irrigation Topics can be studied from
Kullar.